C0PKHX7CFS. i2 7 



Though I know that the thoughts of a philosopher do not depend on the 

 judgment of the multitude, his study being to seek out truth in all things so 

 far as is permitted by God to human reason, yet when I considered how absurd 

 my doctrine would appear I long hesitated whether I should publish my book, 

 or whether it were not better to follow the example of the Pythagoreans and 

 others who delivered their doctrine only by tradition, and to friends. 



The doctrine of Copernicus was first formally judged by the Eoman 

 Church in 1615 when Galileo was before the Inquisition in Eome. 

 The judgment was in these terms : 



The first proposition, that the sun is the center and does not revolve about 

 the earth, is foolish, absurd, false in theology, and heretical, because expressly 

 contrary to Holy Scripture. 



The second proposition, that the earth revolves about the sun and is not the 

 center, is absurd, false in philosophy and, from a theological point of view at 

 least, opposed to the true faith. 



In the year 1616 the works of Copernicus were placed upon the Index 

 'until they should be corrected,' and 'all writings which affirm the 

 motion of the Earth' were condemned at the same time. The congre- 

 gation issued a notice to its readers in 1620, thus conceived: 



Although the writings of Copernicus, the illustrious astronomer, on the 

 revolutions of the world have been declared completely condemnable by the 

 Fathers of the Sacred Congregation of the Index, for the reason that he is not 

 content to announce hypothetically certain principles concerning the situation 

 and motion of the earth, which principles are entirely contrary to the sacred 

 Scripture, and to its true and Catholic interpretation (which can absolutely 

 not be tolerated in a Christian man) but dares to present them as indeed true; 

 nevertheless, because this book contains things very useful to the republic, it 

 has been unanimously agreed that the works of Copernicus ought to be author- 

 ized, so far printed, as they previously have been authorized, correcting, how- 

 ever, according to the following notes, the passages in which he does not express 

 himself hypothetically, but affirmatatively maintains the motion of the earth; 

 but those which, in future, will be printed must not be so printed save with the 

 following corrections, which are to be placed before the preface of Copernicus. 



The corrections follow; they are not numerous or important. 



The works of Copernicus were still on the Index in the year 1819. 

 In the following year Pope Pius VII. approved a decree of the Con- 

 gregation of the Holy Office that the Copernican system, as established, 

 might be taught, and in 1822 'the printing and publication of works 

 treating of the motion of the earth and the stability of the sun, in 

 accordance with the general opinion of modern astronomers, is per- 

 mitted at Home.' Centuries before this date the real question had 

 been judged; but its formal settlement in the Eoman Church was post- 

 poned to our own day. 



The judgments of the Congregation of the Index upon the helio- 

 centric theory were an incident in the history of the relations of Galileo 

 with the authorities at Eome, and they can best be understood in con- 



